Brighton Fringe

2017 update

With so many labour movement events in Brighton this year (as in 2016), our local members have decided not to run any events specifically for Brighton Fringe 2017; however, we expect to be back at the Fringe in future years. Meanwhile, you can read a short summary of our Brighton Fringe 2015 events below and see highlights of those events and all previous Sussex LRC events going back to Brighton Fringe 2012 via Sussex LRC TV.

Brighton Fringe 2015

Thanks to everyone who came along to our three Brighton Fringe meetings in May 2015. Together with our guest speakers, your contributions ensured that everyone enjoyed interesting and informative discussions at all three events. If you would like to view the highlights again you can do so via Sussex LRC TV.

Thanks also to everyone who helped with the organisation and running of our events.

As usual there was a rousing spirit with Sussex LRC at Brighton Fringe 2015 (photo copyright Morten Watkins)

The overall message from Fringe 2015 is that people will no longer stay silent in the face of austerity. Sussex LRC fights back against austerity in unity with other campaigners fighting to defend our public services and welfare state.

Housing campaigner Ben from direct action community group Focus E15 calls for people to fight back for housing (copyright Morten Watkins)

Sussex LRC also stands in solidarity with trades unionists fighting for fair treatment at work, for fair pay and an end to privatisation and victimisation.

Austerity has devastated public services and increased inequality. The Coalition used a global financial crisis caused by unregulated corporate and personal greed to ideologically attack public services, pay and pensions.

As even the OECD says the UK must redistribute wealth to boost our economy, join John McDonnell MP, Mark Serwotka (PCS General Secretary) and Laura Watson (English Collective of Prostitutes) to discuss how by uniting together trade unionists, Labour members and community campaigners we can defend jobs, our public services, welfare state and communities. Do public services have a future? Unite to ensure that they do and to stop Cameron’s Tories treading the same old path on pay and the public sector.

With no real economic recovery under austerity and Cameron only having a tiny Tory majority, there’s still much that Labour MPs can do to push, push, push the Tories in parliament, as well as to lead opposition to cuts nationwide. Join Jeremy Corbyn MP, Nancy Platts and firefighters’ leader Matt Wrack (FBU General Secretary) to discuss the major changes Labour can bring about by opposing austerity and tax cuts and instead calling for increased public investment and wealth redistribution.

Everyone will benefit from restoring our communities, public services, welfare state, NHS and economy. We must ensure that Labour makes our votes count. Come along to this meeting to discover some definite ideas as to how we can do this.

Local housing stock is old, insufficient and often of poor quality, while strong demand means we suffer some of the highest private rents and house prices in the country. Can we build our way out of the housing crisis, or do local land shortages mean we need different solutions? What should we demand from our elected representatives? Is it effective to take direct action ourselves? Join Michael Meacher MP and Saskia O’Hara (Focus E15) to discuss solutions to the housing crisis. Housing is a basic need for all. It must be met.

Our Brighton Fringe 2015 flyers are available, so contact us if you’d like some to distribute in your area or at an event near you.

While you wait for Brighton Fringe 2015 to come around, you can watch the main speeches from our 2012, 2013 and 2014 Brighton Fringe events via Sussex LRC TV .